The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-05-28
THE PEOPLES HERITAGE.
An Influential Religious Papers Remarks
In support of the Democratic Land Pol


An Influential Religious Papers Remarks
In support of the Democratic Land Poll
icy.
The platforms of both parties, in the
last Presidential election, declared In
nearly identical language that the pub
lie lands ought to be kept as home
stcnds for actual settlers; and demand
ed that unearned lands granted to rail-
road corporations should be restored
to the public domain. These resolu-
tions were inconsistent with the policy
that has prevailed for many years in
the Land Office of the Department of
the Interior. BY "rulngs" that are
without warrant of law, and some-
times in defiance of statute. immense
tracts of land have been Withdrawn
from settlement. In 1864 u tract forty
miles wide on each side of the road in
the Territories and twenty miles in the
States was voted to the Northern Pa
cific railway, on condition of its COM
pleting the road by July 4, 1876. The
time was afterwards extended to July
4, 1879, at which time only $50 miles
out OF total of 1852 had been COM
pleted. AT the present time 225 miles
remain to be built. To much of the
land this company now holds it has
no legal title, because of its nom
fulfillment Of contract. And yet it has
been suffered by the Land Office to
take possession, and 1000, 600 acres of
land are withdrawn from settlement in
the Columbia River valley, in order
that the company may have them
when it completes its track.
1t so happened that in 1873 one Gull
ford Miller settled in good faith on a
tract of land in Washington Territory,
which happened to be within the linn
its where the railway was entitled to
select lands. He filed his claim under
| the homestead law December 80, 1884.
He has farmed his land and made GER
tain improvements on it, which have
materially increased its value. The
railway company, seven years after he
had settled, endeavored to oust Miller.
He appealed to the Government, and
his appeal ultimately found its way to
the President. Mr.. Cleveland in
quired carefully into the modern yer.
sion of Naboth's vineyard, and de-
| cided that the railroad was attempting,
under color of law, to take from u
worthy citizen his hard-earned prop
erty. He returns the documents to
the Secretary of the Interior, with a
letter in which he says: II suggest
that you exercise the power and au-
thority you have in the premises upon
equitable considerations. with every
presumption and intendment in favor
of the settler, and in case you find the
corporation is entitled to select any
more of these lands than it has already
| acquired, that you direct it to select in
lieu of the land upon which Mr.. Miller
has settled, other lands within the
limits of this indemnity reservation,
upon which neither he nor any other
citizen has in good faith settled OF
made improvements"
Not only does Mr.. Cleveland thus de-
eide this case. by a suggestion" that
Is equivalent to command, but he
condemns in the strongest terms the
1ormer policy OF the Interior Depart
ment. 1t is perfectly plain, though
the fact is not announced in so many
words, that the policy of the Govern
ment is to be radically changed. Tho
public lands are not to be henceforth
the spoil of great corporations. but the
heritage of the people. This has been
the will of the people from the first,
but that will has been thwarted by un-
wise legislation and hagrantly unjust
official action. Let the peoples land
be for the people. says the President.
That is sound doctrine, whoever says
it, and the people have been looking
for years for some man in authority
who would practice what he preached.
IN. Y. Examiner.